030 [Action for Olivine Pokemon Center/Text]

[soggypastry]

[She doesn't think anything of it, at first. There's another three day hole in her memory and she assumes that he's just out of the city or dealing with something. It's happened before and she knows he'll call sooner or later. But when the call doesn't come, even after noon has come and gone, Lightning begins to worry. She tries to call his gear, but there's no answer other than what she's feared the most ever since people started to disappear on her. That cold, robotic tone telling her that he is gone and she wasn't even there when he disappeared.

That well known sentence that leaves no question he won't be answering her again, and he may not even remember her and everything they are. Still, she doesn't cry. Not even when Strike and Lucky pad into her room, Leon's bag in Strike's paws before she gives it to Lightning and goes to Sen, curling into his embrace as Lucky whines, putting her head on Lightning's lap as the woman digs into Leon's bag and comes out with his coat and a letter that she reads once, twice, three times over before it finally sinks in. Now she cries, one broken sounding sob that shouldn't come from a woman who is normally so strong, but when her world has just been rocked upside down...she's not sure what else to do.

Not sure what else she can do but slowly get out of bed and sit with her arms around Lucky, quietly ignoring the world around them for a long time. Those that come into her room will find her like that, Leon's jacket draped around her shoulders and Lucky's head in her lap. She's not likely to move anytime soon, either.]


Leon's gone. He said to tell you he was sorry.

[Private text to: Ventus]
Can you come by for a minute? I need your help with something.

Comments

[chasingstorms]

[When life tries to hit, do a backflip and then punch it in the nose. Right, sis?]

I can do that. [Just let someone try and stop her.] Watch!

[And she's going to do just that, baring the door before she tugs the mattress down.]

[soggypastry]

[Exactly, baby sis. All the backflipping and punching life in the nose. Break that nose.

Also she'll just watch, as requested, and smile faintly as the mattress hits the ground. She still thinks it's a little too small for both of them now, but the fact that Serah is doing this makes her think on something that needs to be said before it's too late.]

Thank you, Serah.

[What would she do without you, bbsis? She has no idea.]

[chasingstorms]

[Might take more than one hit for that, but she'll get there eventually.]

[See? This scrawny little arms aren't completely without muscle! She's stronger than she looks. Plopping a mattress onto the floor like that means the blankets and things need to get fixed, so she starts on that without saying anything. Only to look up as Lightning talks.]

You don't have to thank me, what are sisters for?

[Be even more miserable than you already are, what else?]

[soggypastry]

[Have Snow or big sis teach you. They're great at punching things...if they stick around. Goodness knows Johto is fond of yanking the Hero away.

Lightning shakes her head at that; what're sisters not for would keep them here for less time, really, but she won't go over that today. Too worn through for that.]

Maybe, but still. You didn't have to do this.

[Much more miserable. And a miserable Lightning is not one that's good to herself, let alone others.]

[chasingstorms]

[Maybe, she'll at least think about it.]

I know, but I wanted to do it.

[It's probably worst for Light herself, since she always seems to be harder on herself than anyone else.]

[soggypastry]

[That's all big sis can ask, then. That she thinks about it.]

Yeah. You wouldn't have done it if you didn't want to.

[She knows you, bb sis. You wouldn't do anything you didn't want to because you're just that stubborn. And it is worse for Lightning herself because she blames herself for things she should have seen coming. Things she thinks she could have prevented. It...gets hard sometimes.]

[chasingstorms]

Exactly! [She nods once for emphasis.] So see? You really didn't have to thank me at all.

[She looks at Lightning and then the mattress thoughtfully.]

You should probably get on first.

[soggypastry]

[There's nothing more she can say to that, so Lightning instead just nods and carefully moves away from Lucky to get to the mattress. And though it's more wobble than crawl, Lightning does make it to the mattress before all but flopping onto it and staring at the ceiling for a long moment. There's a spot at her side for you, Serah, so you might wanna claim that before the Arcanine in the room can. Small mattress is small enough for two humans, let alone two humans and a dog that big.]

[chasingstorms]

[No worries. As soon as Lightning is situated on the bed, Serah crawls in next to her, curling up in the empty space just like she's done ever since they were little. It might not be the same as it was back then, but it's still nice. Isn't it?]

[soggypastry]

[It's not the same because they are most definitely older than before, and they've changed in other ways, but...yes. It's nice and Lightning will just be pulling her sister in closer. She's not likely to ever admit it, but right now? She needs the physical contact more than anything. Proof that she's not really alone.]

[chasingstorms]

[Serah doesn't have to be told, when Lightning pulls on her, she shifts in closer and snuggles against her older sister with a quiet sigh. Closing her eyes, she just soaks up the warmth for a moment, just basking in the knowledge that if nothing else, at least they're together.]